Parents

Healthy Drinks for Kids

We know it's important to get kids to eat healthy foods, but what about getting them on board with healthy drinks? What kids drink can greatly affect how many calories they consume and the amount of calcium (needed to build strong bones) their bodies get.

Serve Water and Milk

For kids of all ages, water and milk are the best choices, so let them flow. Besides having zero calories,water is a no-sugar thirst-quencher. And 1 cup of milk has 300 milligrams of calcium, so it's a big contributor to a child's daily needs.

Here's how much calcium kids need each day:

toddlers (ages 1 to 3 years): 700 milligrams of calcium daily

kids (ages 4 to 8 years): 1000 milligrams

older kids (ages 9 to 18 years): 1,300 milligrams

The current dietary guidelines for milk or equivalent dairy products or fortified soy beverages are:

Kids ages 2 to 3 should drink 2 cups (480 milliliters) every day.

Kids 4 through 8 should have 2½ cups (600 milliliters) per day.

Kids 9 and older should have 3 cups (720 milliliters) per day.

Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk products most of the time.

When kids drink too much juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, and soda, these beverages can crowd out the milk they need. Sugary drinks also can pile on the calories.

Put Limits on Juice

If your child likes juice, be sure to serve 100% juice. Also follow these recommended limits:

up to 6 months old: no juice

6-12 months old: no more than 2-4 ounces (120 milliliters) per day, always served in a cup

1-6 years old: 4-6 ounces (120-180 milliliters) of juice per day

7-18 years old: 8-12 ounces (240-360 milliliters) of juice per day

Say No to Soda

Soft drinks are commonly served to kids, but they have no nutritional value and are high in sugar. Drinking soda and other sugared drinks can cause tooth decay. Colas and other sodas often contain caffeine, which kids don't need. In addition, soft drinks may be taking the place of calcium-rich milk.

One study found that, on average, preschoolers drank less than the recommended 16 ounces of milk each day while drinking 8 ounces of soda and fruit drinks (not including 100% fruit juice).

If soda habits start when kids are little, chances are they will drink increasing amounts as they get older. In older kids and teens, drinking soda has been linked to excessive weight gain and other problems.

That said, many kids like soda and will request it. As a rule, don't serve it to babies, toddlers, or preschoolers. With older kids, let them know it's a once-in-a-while beverage. Don't ban it entirely if your kids like it now and then — that's likely to make it more appealing and them more inclined to overdo it when they get the chance!